Doorndraai Dam Nature Reserve - TripReport  
Winter Visit 1998
Often one doesn't expect too much in autumn or winter. Doorndraai is one place where winter birding can be good. Bird parties are the norm, and if it is very quiet, it is just because you are not at the right place ! Bird Parties in the Campsite area are usually led by Southern Black Tit, Red-Billed Hoopoe and White Helmet Shrikes. Species seen in bird parties included Grey and Orange-breasted Bush Shrike, Grey Penduline Tit, Cardinal, Golden-tailed and Bearded Woodpecker. Striped Pipit seem to be more common at this time of year and several frequent the campsite area, as well as the lawns near the Water Board offices below the dam. A highlight of this trip was a group of about 20 Ethiopian Snipe foraging among drowned acacia shrubs near the top end of the dam. Little Sparrowhawk and Little Banded Goshawk were seen near the campsite, and the shoreline echoed with the powerful grunts of Great Crested Grebe. The full list follows:
Records from Doorndraai 20-22/5/98
6  Great Crested Grebe 8  Dabchick 55  White-brstd Cormorant
58  Reed Cormorant 60  Darter 81  Hamerkop
94  Hadedah 102  Egyptian Goose 105  Black Duck
107  Hottentot Teal 116  Spurwing Goose 148  Fish Eagle
152  Jackall Buzzard 157  Little Sparrowhawk 159  Little Banded Goshawk
169  Gymnogene 188  Coqui Francolin 189  Crested Francolin
196  Natal Francolin 199  Swainson's Francolin 213  Black Crake
248  Kittlit'z Plover 249  Threebanded Plover 255  Crowned Plover
258  Blacksmith Plover 260  Wattled Plover 286  Ethiopian Snipe
303  Bronzewinged Courser 349  Rock Pigeon 352  Redeyed Dove
354  Cape Turtle Dove 355  Laughing Dove 358  Greenspotted Dove
361  Green Pigeon 373  Grey Lourie 398  Pearlspotted Owl
424  Speckled Mousebird 426  Redfaced Mousebird 428  Pied Kingfisher
435  Brownhooded Kingfisher 437  Striped Kingfisher 451  Hoopoe
452  Redbilled Hoopoe 457  Grey Hornbill 458  Redbilled Hornbill
459  Yellowbilled Hornbill 464  Blackcollared Barbet 470  Yellow-fronted T.Barbet
473  Crested Barbet 474  Greater Honeyguide 483  Goldentailed Woodpecker
486  Cardinal Woodpecker 487  Bearded Woodpecker 494  Rufousnaped Lark
523  Pearlbreasted Swallow 529  Rock Martin 541  Forktailed Drongo
545  Blackheaded Oriole 554  Southern Black Tit 558  Grey Penduline Tit
560  Arrowmarked Babbler 568  Blackeyed Bulbul 576  Kurrichane Thrush
589  Familiar Chat 593  Mocking Chat 595  Anteating Chat
596  Stonechat 613  Whitebrowed Robin 621  Titbabbler
651  Longbilled Crombec 653  Yellowbellied Eremoma 657  a Greybacked Bleating Wa
672  Rattling Cisticola 681  Neddicky 683  Tawnyflanked Prinia
685  Blackchested Prinia 693  Fantailed Flycatcher 694  Black Flycatcher
695  Marico Flycatcher 696  Pallid Flycatcher 701  Chinspot Batis
711  Pied Wagtail 713  Cape Wagtail 716  Grassland Pipit
720  Striped Pipit 723  Bushveld Pipit 727  Orangethroated Longclaw
732  Fiscal Shrike 736  Boubou Shrike 740  Puffback Shrike
741  Brubru 743  Threestreaked Tchagra 744  Blackcrowned Tchagra
748  Orangebreasted Bush Shri 751  Greyhead Bush Shrike 753  White Helmetshrike
761  Plumcoloured Starling 764  Cape Glossy Starling 779  Marico Sunbird
787  Whitebellied Sunbird 792  Black Sunbird 796  Cape White-eye
804  Greyheaded Sparrow 805  Yellowthr Sparrow 814  Masked Weaver
819  Redheaded Weaver 841  Jameson's Firefinch 844  Blue Waxbill
846  Common Waxbill 852  Quail Finch 857  Bronze Mannikin
869  Yelloweyed Canary 881  Streakyheaded Canary 884  Goldenbreasted Bunting

   go back to Doorndraai Description

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